AUSTRALIAN GRAPES. WELLINGTON'S THIRD SHIPMENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 36, 12 February 1908, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN GRAPES. WELLINGTON'S THIRD SHIPMENT.

! GOOD AND POOR SAMPLES: I The comparatively high price of j giapc:i in .New South Wales this year, ; p.-lded to the, ride i-f shippers glutting Jan undeveloped m.iikct during the opsn-j.ing-up stages, is causing Sydney e?:poilers to coinmus sending only a moderate number of cases in their weekly shipments ,to Wellington. Thero was', howover, a slight incrpjise noticeable in today's totals, and if the succeeding, lots expand in like extent, tho growers will Miiely li»d the local market absorbing thsm without difficulty. The fact that there was any shipment this week caused comment on the wharf amongst some citizens who seemed to be under the imj pression that no more grapes would | toma to hand in Wellington in consel quence of losses made by the growers. The growers' actually did lose money on the grapes scut, to Auckland, and they did not follow their initial shipment with a second ona. Probably it was this fact that misled some Wellington people, but as a matter of fact, tho first shipment of grapes to Wellington paid expenses and in some cases lett a small profit, while tho second one brought prices which ensured <i payable return to the shippers after all expenses were met. Last week's grapes were retailed locally at Bd, lOd, and Is per pound, and in a few days the stocks were all sold out. To-day's shipment was a mixed lot, all from New South Wales shippers. A fairly large number of boxes bore tho brand of "the Bank of New South Wales, Hyde Orchard," and there were ssveral sepaiatc consignments from Maitland. <V few boxos of the grapes known as '"ladies' fingers" were sent, but the bunches of these contained some immature berries, and there were bruises apparent on the fruit. Many boxes of luscious Black Hamburgs in excellent condition were, sent. It is anticipated that the whole' of the consignment will be delivered to the various auctioneers in time lor sale this afternoon, Mr. Palethoipe and his assistants having been at work from early morning in making the thorough inspection to which' tho Biological Department submits all fruit from overseas. When the grapes were opened up in the auction rooms it was 1 found that a large number had deteriorated, and though the best of the shipment brought 6£d and 7d per pound the bruised and otherwise deteriorated sold as low as 2d and 3d. From 3d to 4d may bo pet down as an average of the sales, though on§ firm of auctioneers, whose 'consignments'were in worse state than the bulk of the shipment, probably averaged only 2£d. The chief-cause of the deterioration is supposed to be delap in transhipment at Sydney. IJathurst and other upcountry growers should be careful to time their consignments to arrive in Sydney on the day that the New Zealand steamer departs.